


We Found Wonderland, You & I

by bluethief



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: College AU, M/M, i love my gay cowboys, silly awkward drunk boys ft. taylor swift is the best au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 00:52:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4284393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluethief/pseuds/bluethief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan just wants to get drunk and mourn his failing business alone, but an obnoxious Brit is having none of that. However, drunkenness and awkwardness don't mix, and neither of them are entirely sure what they're getting into.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this for a while and? im super pumped to finally be able to post it! + i love taylor swift, please don't let ryan's rudeness get in the way of having a good time

People really underestimate how shitty small town bar music can be. 

In big cities, the bars are filled with flashing lights and deep bass remixes that pound in your bones and blend seamlessly into the next song. Ryan concluded, after hearing the fiftieth Taylor Swift breakup song, that country bars really sucked. He was on his third glass of watery beer, his jeans would not stop slipping down, and his day just kept getting worse by the minute. The raucous laughter from the pool table across the smoky room set a foul taste in his mouth, and he scowled. Part of his brain told him they were mocking him, and another part told him to shut up and keep drinking.

The barkeep approached him slowly, rubbing a cloth along a glass that was long dry. Ryan was annoyed before the woman even opened her mouth.

“What’s troubling you, son?” She asked, her blue eyes soft and concerned. Ryan refused to make eye contact with her, instead running his eyes along the elaborate tattoos on her arms as he replied.

“Nothin’. Just a lil’ pissed off at myself today.” He slurred out, and almost winced at himself. Was he really such a lightweight that a few beers pushed him over the edge? The man realized that a combination of the exhaustion, emotional stress, and terrible alcohol could all be factors, but still…

She was most likely going to press him to elaborate, but her response was cut off by the brassy jingle of the bell above the door being disturbed, and the sound of boisterous conversation that followed.

“I’m serious as dicks, this place’ll be even better than the last.” A high-pitched voice practically yelled, followed by a burst of squawking laughter. 

“‘Serious as dicks?’ That’s not even a real bloody phrase, you idiot!” The person who replied had a thick British accent, made even thicker by what must have been a long night of bar hopping. The two men were followed by another pair talking quietly among themselves, and Ryan hadn’t turned to look, but if the jangle of keys was any indication, these were the designated drivers for the night. 

Ryan continued glaring daggers into his half-empty glass, and nearly jumped out of his skin when one of the new arrivals plopped down in the stool next to him. He glanced over at the man out of the corner of his eye and realized he wasn’t a man, but a young boy, probably fresh out of high school. All of them must have been students at the local university that decided to go out for a spin around town, despite the fact that none of them could have been older than twenty. But then again, the drinking age around these parts was ‘don’t ask don’t tell’, and Ryan wasn’t about to make a fuss. 

One of the men was older than the rest, at least in his thirties, and Ryan realized that this must be the one showing them around. He had one of the most obnoxious, stereotypical mustaches that Ryan had ever seen, and when he spoke, Ryan confirmed that this was the ‘serious as dicks’ guy. The Mustache Guy- Ryan had decided to call him that in a stroke of pure, intoxicated genius- slapped a twenty on the top of the bar and smiled at the barkeep with heavily lidded eyes.

“Hey, Grif, make us three of those kickass rusty nails for us, won’tcha please?” Mustache Guy batted his eyes, and the barkeep rolled hers, taking the money and setting out three glasses.

No longer interested, Ryan focused his gaze back on his own drink, taking a long swig and emptying the glass, save the light foam at the bottom. He figured he might as well go home now, before these guys got obnoxious, but a light hand on his shoulder stopped him as he rose from his stool.

“Hey, where’re you going?” A cheery voice slurred, and Ryan recognized him as the British member of their group. He took in the boy, from his wild, sandy blond hair to his shocking hazel eyes, to his alarmingly large nose and impossibly long lashes, to the sloppy clothing that hung off of his bony frame. Ryan realized that he’d been silent this whole time, and he cleared his throat, eyes flicking back up to meet the British man’s.

“I don’t know why that’d ever be any of your business.” Ryan almost felt bad when he saw the way the other man almost physically deflated, but it had been a long day and he felt like shit and wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up under his sheets and sleep for years. Yet something in those wide, watery hazel eyes compelled him to sit down again and rub at the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh.

“Sorry, I just- it’s been a super fucking shitty day.” He grumbled out, and felt the boy reach up to pat his back. 

“Well, it’s not daytime anymore, now it’s nighttime, so it’ll get better. I’ll get you a bev and we can talk about it?” The boy chirped out, smiling lopsidedly up at him. Ryan felt compelled to accept, and nodded in response.

He had no idea what the hell a ‘bev’ was, though.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The boy’s name was Gavin Free, and he was by far the weirdest person Ryan had ever met. While Ryan’s glass was continuously refilled, the young Brit assaulted him with one peculiar question after another. He asked him questions like where he was from- ‘Georgia’- what he did for a living- ‘I own the ranch about ten miles east of here’- what farming was like- ‘I’m not a farmer, I just own the business’- if he wore cheesy overalls while he farmed- ‘For God’s sake, I told you, I’m not- ugh, never mind’- and why he was having such a bad day.

The last question was not such an easy one to answer, not only because Gavin still felt like a stranger to him, but because he wasn’t quite sure of the answer himself.

“Well,” He began, watching Gavin run his bony fingers along the edge of his glass. “I guess you could just chuck it down to bad business. Our finances’ve been goin’ down the drain lately.” Gavin gave him a concerned look, but he waved it away. “It sounds bad, but It’ll all get sorted out. This is what happens every few years. We almost go out of business, some miracle saves us, and we just keep truckin’ on.” Gavin let out a loud squawk at that, nearly falling out of his stool.

“What kind of a business plan is that? That’s bloody terrible!” Gavin laughed, clutching his stomach. His laugh, a garbled bellow of a thing, was contagious. Ryan found himself chuckling along, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

“I know, but there’s nothing else we can do. This is such a small town, and no one wants to work for some rickety old farm, so we’re pretty damn short staffed. But hopefully that’ll be included in our next miracle.”

“That makes some sense, I guess.” The boy mumbled, nodding. They sat in a silence that was not quite awkward, before Ryan faced forward in his seat again.

“So, why are you here?” He blurted without thinking, and almost immediately regretted it. Gavin was clearly thrilled by the question, taking off on a long explanation.

He and a few of his friends (Mustache Guy, whose name was apparently Geoff, a quiet Puerto Rican named Ray, and a sour looking redhead named Michael) had met a few weeks ago thanks to their affiliation with the local university and their love of video games. Geoff had somehow made a bet that he could drink more than Gavin before they both dropped, so they decided to go bar hopping to see who would be victorious. So far neither man had yielded, but Ryan guessed that they were both equally close to passing out. 

That conversation spring boarded them into another, and soon Gavin was telling him about how he grew up in Oxfordshire, England, but after high school he wanted to get a new perspective on the world, so he transferred to an American university where he could study film making and special effects. From there he started talking about a lot of technical gibberish that made no sense to Ryan, so the man took this opportunity to really admire Gavin. His nose, which had previously seemed obnoxious, was now endearing and pink with the flush of alcohol, along with the rest of his face. His bright eyes twinkled while he spoke about his work, and his mouth was quirked up in a mirthful little smile. He spoke a lot with his hands as well, and kept them occupied by fiddling with his glass whenever he wasn’t using them. All in all, Ryan found him positively-

Ryan’s brain shut down before he could even finish the thought. What was he thinking? He must really be drunk at this point to be thinking such affectionate things about a complete stranger. His brain fiddled with the incomplete sentence, struggling to find what word he would’ve used at the end, had the thought run it’s course. However, he was shaken from his thoughts when he saw Gavin’s hand waving in front of his face.

“Ryan? Ryaaaan? Rye? Rye-bread?” The Brit seemed to be laughing the words, and Ryan shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“‘Rye-Bread’?” He asked, devoid of anything else to say. Gavin laughed, downing the rest of his drink.

“Mmhmm. That’s you.” He nodded aggressively, nearly knocking himself out of his stool. His arms flapped gracelessly and his eyes went wide as he lost his balance, and Ryan’s hand shot out to grab the younger boy’s shoulder. 

Once Gavin had regained his balance, they both looked at each other, Ryan’s hand still resting on the Brits shoulder. Ryan felt a shiver crawl up his spine, and something in Gavin’s eyes seemed expectant, no, desperate, but Ryan had no idea what to make of it, so he dropped his hand and turned back to the bar again.

“Jesus, you really are a mess.” Ryan joked halfheartedly, and heard Gavin breathe out a forced laugh. The tension in their awkward silence was broken by Gavin’s friend Michael demanding the Brit’s attention. 

“Hey, asshat, are you ready to go? Geoff’s fucking smashed off his ass, and Ray and I just want to crash.” The redhead barked out, jingling his keys for emphasis. Gavin seemed to struggle with the question, glancing back at Ryan with a pleading look in his eyes, and the man practically read his mind.

“I think Gavin and I were gonna stay for a while longer. I can call a cab for him later, don’t worry about it.” Michael shot him a suspicious look, but seemed to accept his proposal.

“Alright then, whatever you guys want. Just make sure he goes to his own fucking dorm room this time, and not ours.” With a huff, he turned to Geoff, who was slumped across the counter, making googly eyes at the barkeep. “Get up, you idiot, she’s not going to sleep with you. Let’s get out of here.” 

He and Ray each took one of Geoff’s arms and lifted him up, and with that they were off. Gavin stood to follow them out the door, and Ryan turned back to the barkeep.

“Put anything else he drinks on my tab.” he murmured, offering her his glass. The barkeep nodded, taking the glass and putting it under the counter with a few others that still needed to be washed. 

With a grunt, Ryan slid off his stool, shuffling towards the bathroom. When he shoved his way past the heavy bathroom door, the bright fluorescent lights assaulted his eyes and he groaned, squinting around the grimy room. He located the sink and trudged over to it, turning on the faucet with shaking hands. 

Ryan cupped his hands under the icy spray, leaning down to splash it on his face. After letting out a long sigh, he looked up at the mirror in front of him, bracing his hands on the edge of the sink.

“Jesus Christ, you’re a mess.” He croaked out, and then chuckled at himself. He had huge bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess, and he hadn’t shaved in far too long, leaving him with an alarming amount of stubble. Mesmerized, he lifted his hand to rub his prickly jaw. Damn, I wonder why anyone would even talk to me when I look this shitty? His mind jumped to Gavin, and he became even more puzzled. Why had the young boy talked to him in the first place, and then why had he wanted to stay after his friends left? He shook his head, amounting it to drunkenness.

Huffing, the man pushed himself away from the sink and headed back out to the dimly lit bar. Gavin was sitting in his stool again, looking around worriedly. When he spotted Ryan his face lit up, and he waved excitedly at the older man.

“Geez, I thought you’d gone and run off on me!” He bubbled, slapping Ryan on the back a few times as he sat back down in his stool. Ryan only shrugged, resting his forearms on the smooth wooden surface of the bar. Gavin laughed at that, taking a long swig of his new drink. 

The Brit’s cheeks were strikingly rosy at this point, and Ryan could tell that he was about as drunk as his friend Geoff. As if to validate his point, Gavin launched into a long rambling description of something he and his “B” did a few weeks ago, listing off a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo that Ryan had no hope of following. 

They talked for a while after that, their conversation flowing as easily as their drinks. Ryan even found himself laughing at some insane story Gavin was telling, tears welling in his eyes and hands clutching his stomach. The Brit squawked indignantly, waving his hands about in an attempt to explain the story in a way that set him in a better light.

“I-I, well, you don’t get it! He thought it would be hilarious after I explained it to him! I never thought he’d actually try to drink the whole jug! And besides, we got some bloody amazing footage for our channel!” Ryan only laughed harder, slapping his palm against the bar a few times.

“That’s such a dick move, Gavin!” He exclaimed, taking a large swig of his drink in between labored breaths. Gavin only crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance. “Come on,” Ryan pleaded jokingly, “Don’t be like that. You’re not as pretty when you’re pouting.” It slipped out almost unconsciously, and both of them instantly went silent. Ryan felt himself pale, and Gavin took to shifting in his seat. Thoughts whirled in the older man’s head at a thousand miles a minute and he was almost completely lost in his own mind when Gavin piped up next to him.

“You think I’m pretty, huh?”

A jolt ran down Ryan’s spine and his gaze whipped up to meet the Brit’s. There was some uncertainty in his gaze, but also stubborn determination. _Holy shit,_ Ryan realized, _this is gay chicken. This is really happening, right here, right now._ The older man swallowed dryly, before forcing out a sly smile.

“I guess I do.” Ryan was very proud of the way his voice didn’t waver and he rewarded himself with a deep drink from his glass, taking the time to calm his pounding heart. Gavin was still staring him down with that determined expression, and Ryan felt a bead of sweat creep down his forehead. The next few moments were tense while the two men struggled to find words to break the awkward silence. Eventually, Ryan managed to clear his throat, placing his glass back on the bar with a soft thunk that was barely audible in the noisy bar. “Anyway… I should probably take you home. You’re clearly hammered.”

‘I guess so… If you’re offering a ride, I’m not gonna turn you down!’ Gavin chirped, rising to his feet as quickly as he could, which was shockingly fast considering the huge amount of alcohol he’d consumed that night. The younger man hobbled across the room, almost knocking into a few grumpy customers on his way towards the door. Ryan watched him carefully, before turning to Griffon.

“Just keep my card here. I’ll come and pay for everything in the morning.” The woman nodded, and then turned to address another customer. Ryan stood up then, following Gavin out the door with a bit of a stumble in his step.

The outside air refreshed him a bit, and when he looked down at his watch, he saw it was almost midnight. He reached into his pocket for his keys, forking them out with only a little trouble. Ryan caught up with Gavin, who was wandering aimlessly around the parking lot, and led the other man towards his car.

“A rusty old pick-up truck? What a stereotypical car! And you boasted about not being a farmer…” Gavin chortled, before interrupting himself with a hiccup. Ryan only shook his head, getting in the driver's seat and unlocking the other door for the young Brit. Once they were both in the car, and Ryan was sure Gavin’s seatbelt was fastened, he pulled out of the dusty parking lot, heading for the University.

Gavin rested his head against the window, his wide eyes looking up at the twinkling stars. 

“I’ll never get over it, how easily you can see the stars out here…” He trailed off, before turning to Ryan. “I’m in the East Dorm, the one close to the Chemistry Annex.” He supplied, and Ryan nodded, vaguely aware of where that was.

Most of the ride continued in comfortable silence. Quiet country could be heard coming from Ryan’s radio at a low volume, and the older man had rolled his window down to let in the cool autumn breeze. It was only a half-hour later when he reached the Eastern Dormitory, parking in one of the visitors spots. Gavin nearly fell out of the truck, and Ryan scrambled out awkwardly to help keep the young Brit stay on his feet. Following some slurred directions, Ryan was able to lead them both to Gavin’s room, and was surprised to find that the door was unlocked. 

The room was small, but cozy. There were posters on the wall, books and papers scattered on the desk, and a dangerously high tower of dirty dishes in the sink. He sat Gavin down at his desk, before searching in the kitchen for some type of glass or mug. While he sifted through the cabinets, he found that the younger man was fond of taping pictures in random places. Some were inside cabinets, there were many on the fridge, and others were spread across the walls. He recognized Michael, Ray and Geoff, as well as a few other familiar faces. One picture depicted a young boy, around grade school age, beaming at the camera with his arm wrapped around someone else, a lanky, messy-haired boy who had to have been Gavin. He leaned in closer to inspect it, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice behind him.

“That’s Dan, my friend I told you about earlier.” Gavin mumbled, and Ryan whipped around to look at the other man, watching as he leaned against the fridge a few feet away from him. The older man spluttered out the beginnings of an apology, feeling bad for snooping while Gavin was so out of it. The Brit waved his concerns away, instead inclining his head towards the furthest cabinet in the room. “Glasses are in there, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Ryan nodded, turning and opening the cabinet door, pulling out a glass. He moved to the sink, pouring tap water in the glass before handing it to Gavin, who took it and gulped it down immediately. He nodded in appreciation before setting the glass down and gazing at Ryan.

“Thanks for helping me up here. Sorry to be such a bloody bother.” He apologized, looking down and rubbing his arm sheepishly. Ryan shook his head.

“It was nothing, I just wanted to make sure you got all the way back safely.” He answered, before walking past Gavin, towards the door. As he moved past the other man, he grabbed Ryan’s arm to stop him.

“Wait-” he blurted out, before pausing, staring down at where he had grabbed the older man. After a moment, he seemed to realize what he was going to say. “I, uh, need to pay you. For gas.” Ryan began to protest, but Gavin shushed him, moving over towards his bed. “Really, I insist.” He called over his shoulder, and Ryan relented, following the younger man.

He watched as Gavin reached under his mattress to pull out a small wad of cash, sifting through the bills with sloppy, shaky hands. Without thinking, Ryan stepped forward, holding Gavin’s trembling hands in his own. He started to say something about helping the younger man, but when he met the other’s gaze, he froze. Gavin’s eyes were wide, and his cheeks were flushed, and Ryan could see a bead of sweat forming in the dim light of the room.

Ryan’s mouth opened, and then closed, and then opened again. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing, let alone what he should say. All he could think about was the way the dim lamplight reflected off of Gavin’s irises, bringing out the deep brown and shining green. 

Suddenly, however, he couldn’t see Gavin’s eyes anymore. He didn’t even register what was happening until it was already over. But he could still feel Gavin’s hands trembling in his own, could feel a slight tingle on his lips, and that’s when it hit him: Gavin had kissed him. Ryan’s brain shorted out, and he barely even noticed Gavin mumbling apologies. It wasn’t until he felt the younger man pulling out of his grip that he began to react, holding onto the Gavin’s clammy hands and stooping down to meet his eyes. 

“H-hey, don’t be sorry, Gavin, look at me, it’s- it’s ok.” He fumbled for words, reaching up to hold the Brit’s face in his hand. His hands tingled when they met the slight stubble on Gavin’s face, and he could feel his heart pounding quickly. _I don’t know what I’m doing, what am I doing, what’s going on-_ his thoughts reeled, but he ignored them, choosing instead to bring his face down to Gavin’s, his mouth a hair’s breadth away from the other’s. He looked into Gavin’s wide eyes, pupils blown out and retina trembling, searching for some kind of invitation, any kind of yes in the younger man’s eyes. Gavin answered him by rushing forward, his mouth colliding against Ryan’s with a young, sloppy sort of fervor. 

Ryan lost himself in the kiss, moving his hands to the back of Gavin’s neck, barely even registering the dull thump of Gavin’s money hitting the ground between them before the younger’s arms wrapped around his back. He could feel Gavin pressing his whole weight against Ryan, and he could taste cheap whiskey on his tongue. 

Gavin was still kissing him wildly, with no control at all, and Ryan almost wanted to laugh. He was so impatient. After a moment, Ryan took control of the kiss, breaking it for a moment so they could breathe. Both of them were almost panting, and Ryan pressed his forehead against Gavin’s, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He threaded his fingers through the younger man’s hair, leaning in for another kiss. This time, however, Ryan made sure it was slow. He would occasionally press kisses to the other’s temples, his jaw, his neck, before Gavin would squirm in his grim and Ryan would placate him with another kiss to the lips.

Slowly, Ryan backed Gavin up, towards his bed, and followed him down when he sat, laying him back and leaning over him. It wasn’t until he started trailing a hand up under the Brit’s shirt that the other man panicked, breaking the kiss.

“W-Wait, I don’t- I’m not-” Gavin spluttered, pressing Ryan’s hand away from his stomach. Ryan leaned backwards, resting on his knees and gazing at the younger man curiously. His entire face was red and he wouldn’t meet Ryan’s gaze. The older man understood immediately, that he must be scared, unsure. He was definitely still tipsy, as was Ryan. He reached forward, brushing back a wild lock of hair that was pressed against his sweaty forehead.

“It’s ok, I get it. We, uh… Well…” Ryan was hit by a sudden bout of awkwardness, and flailed his hands in front of him, and Gavin chuckled at that. “Just… Do whatever you’re comfortable with… I guess.” He concluded, and Gavin nodded, a smile spreading across his face as he sat up, lifting his baggy shirt from his shoulders.

The younger man brought the other back down for another sloppy kiss, running his hands along Ryan’s chest and pulling at the buttons of his flannel work shirt, almost curiously. Ryan nodded into the kiss, leaning back for a moment to undo the buttons. 

His sweaty fingers fumbled on the small pieces of plastic, and he found himself getting more and more flustered, and he could see Gavin trying not to laugh at him. The Brit reached up to help him, starting at the bottom and working his way up. After a few awkward moments, punctuated by weird laughing noises from Gavin and a number of _umm_ ’s and _erm_ ’s from Ryan, the older man was able to toss his shirt to the side, leaning down again.

It was awkward, and sloppy, but it worked for them, and soon their breathing picked up, and their motions grew more and more frantic, and Ryan broke the kiss again, much to Gavin’s evident dismay. The younger man pouted up at him, a crinkle forming on the bridge of his nose. Ryan smiled down at the younger man, drinking in the sight of him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“So, uh, have you… Do you…” He scrambled for words, looking at Gavin pleadingly. “Do you want to…? I mean I’m fine with just about anything you just tell me-” He stopped talking and almost jumped out of his skin when Gavin reached down towards his worn jeans.

“Is this alright? I mean, I can-” Gavin began, and Ryan shook his head, smiling sheepishly.

“N-No, that’s great.” Ryan assured, before leaning back down again for the thousandth time to kiss Gavin, closing his eyes and losing himself in all of the different sensations.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan awoke to the sound of car horns honking, birds singing, and the excited chatter of college students.

It sucked ass.

He groaned as he leaned up, throwing Gavin’s blanket off of him and sitting on the edge of the bed-

Wait. Gavin’s blanket? Ryan furrowed his brow, looking around the unfamiliar room, and suddenly all the memories of the night before hit him. The bar, Gavin and his friends, the car ride home, _the bed_ \- He groaned again, dropping his head into his hands. Dear God, what was I thinking? He asked himself internally, and he could feel himself beginning to panic. How could he be attracted to- no, how could he sleep with another man? And a college student, at that? That sort of thing just didn’t happen in their rural little country town. If anyone found out…

But, Ryan had to admit, it had been great. Meeting Gavin, opening up to him, kissing him, and… Ryan shook his head, opening his eyes again. He spotted a note on the bedside table next to him, written in sloppy, rushed handwriting.

_ryan,_  
_had to get to my morning classes, but i get off at around 4- wait for me?_  
_gavin_

Ryan smiled fondly at the small note, but his joy was short-lived. He couldn’t do this- they couldn’t do this. It was just wrong- someone would find out- as if the age difference wasn’t bad enough-

Ryan stood quickly, slipping back into his work shirt and snatching a pen off of Gavin’s desk. he wrote a response below Gavin’s note, struggling to find the right words.

_Gavin-_  
_I can’t I have to I’ve got work today. See you tomorrow soon later_  
_Ryan_

It was a lie, but Ryan didn’t know what else to do. He gathered his wallet and keys, and exited the dorm as quickly as he could, jumping in his truck and nearly peeling out of the parking lot.

His hands shook and he could feel sweat beading up on his brow. Thoughts were swirling through his head at an alarming rate, but he was sure of one thing; he couldn’t face Gavin again.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan had never been more wrong about anything in his life.

After he left Gavin’s dorm, he made his way back to his ranch, sighing at the sad sight. The gate was rusty, about to fall off its hinges, and the sign proudly displaying Achievement Farms was not so much proud as it was crumbling and decrepit. Jack, his partner in the failing business, was trying to repair the sad gate when Ryan pulled up, and the cheerful, bearded man stood up from his crouched position, loping over to Ryan’s open window.

“Hey, how’s it going?” He asked, and after he received a casual shrug for an answer, he continued. “Animals are all fed, and I managed to get that creaky door to quiet up. I decided to get started on the gate while you crawled your lazy ass out from whatever hole you were in. Where did you go last night? I called you at least five times, ‘cause that new shipment came in and I needed help bringing it in.” 

Ryan’s mind flashed back to the night before, and he cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Jack, I was just at Grif’s last night, and I… I got a little too tipsy to drive home, so I just slept in the truck.” Jack looked skeptical for a moment and Ryan was sure the ginger would see through his lie. To his great relief, the bearded man simply shrugged.

“I don’t know how you afforded that, but whatever. Hey, could you give me a ride back up to the office? I didn’t bring all of the tools I needed down here- it’s a lot worse than we thought.” Ryan grimaced, but nodded, and Jack smiled, jogging around to the passenger side door and hopping in. As soon as Jack was secure, he pushed the car into gear, starting the long drive back to the actual office of the ranch. 

Jack made small talk about the strange antics of their animals, and a few more things that the two of them needed to repair, and in no time he pulled up to the small, cozy office building. Jack jumped out, waving goodbye to Ryan. The blond watched him for a moment, and then cut the truck’s engine, climbing out. While he strolled towards the office entrance, he tried to ignore the faint pounding in his head, the hunger, and the gross cotton-like texture in his mouth. 

The office itself was small, containing their front desk (at which Lindsay was currently sitting, completely ignoring the paperwork stacked next to her in favor of browsing through cute pictures of cats, most likely), a water dispenser that gurgled at his arrival, a few boring country landscape paintings, and a large potted plant that probably needed to be watered, if the slightly yellow leaves were any indication. He greeted Lindsay on his way past her, and felt a little better when he received a cheery ‘hello there!’ and a face-splitting smile. 

He pushed past the door into the employee area, and sighed when he saw Kerry fast asleep on the small dining table in the center of the room. He still had a half eaten sandwich in his grip, and let out a soft snore every now and then while Ryan made his way to their small fridge, pulling out a diet coke and another sandwich. It was probably Kerry’s, but the young resident farrier had it coming if he was going to sleep on the job.

He shuffled past Kerry and into his actual office, closing the door behind him. With a loud sigh, he flopped down into his chair, turning to boot up his computer and opening his diet coke with a satisfying hiss. Ryan checked his email, pleased to see that they had only a small number of bills to pay this month. _Hooray for us,_ he thought cynically, before typing some emails to potential clients. He was nearly done when he heard his phone ding. After finishing the last few words of his email and sending it off, he pulled out his phone, surprised to see that he actually had quite a few text messages from someone named Gavino.

_7:43 AM_  
_you really should get a proper password for your phone. 1234 is a bit obvious._  
_-G_

_8:27 AM_  
_i hope youre still sleeping! gotta catch some nice zzzs. you looked bloody exhausted when i left. _  
_-G___

_9:01 AM_  
_hey, youre a farmer right? im sure youve read animal farm then. can you tell me why the cows represent prostitutes? does orwell not like prostitutes? or does he have beef with cows?_  
_-G_

_9:07 AM_  
_that pun was intended ;)_  
_-G_

_10:56 AM_  
_me and my bois!_  
_-G_

__The last message had an image attached, and Ryan opened it. It was a blurry picture of Gavin, with a surprisingly cheerful Michael. He could see Geoff in the background making a stupid face, and Ray curled up in the chair next to them, hood up and headphones in. It was oddly sweet, and Ryan felt touched by Gavin’s numerous texts. At the same time, he felt extremely guilty, knowing he’d probably never see the Brit again. He deleted the texts, but kept the photo, and went back to working, the guilt still nagging him in the back of his mind._ _

__\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_ _

__It was nightfall by the time Ryan was completely done with his paperwork, as well as helping Jack finish the gate and taking care of some of the animals. He received a few more texts from Gavin, but ignored them, unsure of how to answer._ _

__Ryan was locking up the office when he remembered something critical from last night: his card, that he left at the bar with Griffon. Groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose, he finished what he was doing and then climbed into his truck, driving down the dirt driveway and hopping out to open the gate._ _

__As soon as he was out on the main road, he turned on the radio, cranking up the volume of whatever station was playing. He realized with a cringe that Gavin had left it on one of those obnoxious ‘Top 40’ stations, and wanted to scream when he heard Taylor Swift’s sugar-sweet voice blasting through his speakers. As quickly as he could, he changed the station, relieved when he found one without obnoxious music that reminded him of Gavin. While he hummed along, he felt his phone vibrate multiple times in his pocket and pulled it out to check on them, safety be damned. Of course it was Gavin, sending him more selfies with his friends, and a few stupid hypothetical questions that almost bothered him to the point of responding. He chucked his phone onto the seat next to him, his guilt still picking at the same wound in the back of his mind. He rolled into the parking lot of the bar and got out of his car, walking inside, still lost in his thoughts, and didn’t hear someone calling his name until they nearly ran over him, stumbling on their feet._ _

__Ryan looked down at the clumsy stranger, and realized that it was Gavin. His blood ran cold, and his hands began to sweat immediately._ _

__“Rye-bread!” The other man exclaimed, rushing forward to wrap him in some kind of awkward bro hug, but he stumbled on his own feet, spilling a good amount of his beer on Ryan’s left side. He let out some weird sound that sounded alarmingly like a squawk, and began apologizing profusely. “Oh, bloody- bollocks- I’m so sorry, Ryan!” The younger man began, reaching forward to touch the growing stain, unsure of where to put his hands. Ryan looked around and could see a few of the other customers in the bar giving them weird looks, ranging from curiosity to annoyance. Panicking, Ryan grabbed Gavin’s wrist, pulling him into the small bathroom across the bar._ _

__By the time they were inside Gavin was laughing about his slip-ups, sputtering and gasping and trying to come up with words. Ryan waited until the other had quieted down before speaking._ _

__“What are you doing here, Gavin?” Ryan inquired, quirking his eyebrow. Gavin gave him a funny look before answering._ _

__“Well, I was texting you all day, and you never responded, and I really wanted to bev it up with you again and-” Ryan cut him off before he could keep rambling._ _

__“I don’t think you realize… What… What happened last…” He struggled to find words, and Gavin piped in.  
“What happened last night was bloody top.” He chimed in, and Ryan’s face flushed with heat._ _

__“What I’m trying to say is… Augh, God, don’t you get it? That kind of thing just doesn’t happen around here. We were both drunk, and we didn’t know what we were doing. I don’t know what it’s like back in England, but the people around here don’t take kindly to… you know…” He trailed off, gesturing at the two of them. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, you understand?” Gavin seemed to take a moment to catch on, and then he just looked angry._ _

__“Hey, no! You don’t get to pull that faux protective crap on me, I know that act. If you don’t… like me, I guess, just tell me. But don’t pretend to care about my safety when you’re really just looking after your own.” Gavin hissed, poking at Ryan’s chest with the last few syllables. The older man was a little flustered, but he managed to take a step back from Gavin, feeling the hard wood of the door pressed up against his back._ _

__“No, it’s not that I don’t like- I just- I’m just scared. I have so much going on right now and I don’t want to drag you into it and...” Gavin had taken another step towards him, and was now standing entirely too close and Ryan could see the slight flush of his cheeks, the way his messy hair was slightly damp, and those eyes, those damn eyes-_ _

__“What a load of bull.” Gavin grumbled, glaring up at him. “Listen to me. I like you. If I’m right, you like me. I like the stories you tell, and your awkward way with words, and that stupid wonderful beard of yours, and the way you make me-” Gavin paused and swallowed, continuing without completing his last sentence. “I want to be with you. I don’t care if we last one month, or one week, or only one last bloody fuck-” Ryan cringed at that, but Gavin kept going, “It doesn’t matter to me. All I need to know is if you want the same thing.” He finished, staring Ryan down._ _

The older man’s brain almost shut down right there and then. His thoughts were flying around at a mile a minute; _God, I really want to, what if someone finds out, so what if someone does, he’s such an idiot, he’s perfect._ It took him almost a full minute to collect his thoughts, and when he looked down at Gavin again, the other was still staring up at him, albeit a little nervously. Clearing his throat nervously, he nodded. Gavin seemed perplexed, and then his face lit up. 

__“Is that a yes? Is that a wee little baby yes?” Gavin cooed, jumping up and down excitedly._ _

__“Of co- Of course.” Ryan stuttered, feeling a small smile spread across his own face._ _

__“Bloody top!” Gavin exclaimed, laughing and grabbing Ryan’s face, having to stand on his tiptoes in order to crash his lips against Ryan’s. The older man took a moment to react, wrapping his arms around Gavin’s waist, and losing himself in the kiss._ _

__After what seemed like forever, Gavin suddenly broke the kiss, his eyes wide._ _

__“Holy shit. Michael owes me forty dollars now!” The Brit let loose more of his squawking laughter, and Ryan groaned, leaning down for another kiss._ _

__\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_ _

__“Gavin, shut your fucking mouth, you prick!” Michael practically screamed, leaning over from his seat in front of Geoff’s TV to try and smack the Brit. Gavin let out a shrill cry, and both Ryan and Geoff laughed at the younger man, who pouted up at Ryan in response._ _

__“Rye-bread, aren’t you going to defend my honor?” Gavin whined, giving the older man the biggest puppy dog eyes he could manage. Ryan rolled his eyes._ _

__“Not when you ask bullshit questions like that, young maiden.” Ryan replied, turning back to the video game they were all playing, but not before sending a wink Gavin’s way._ _

__“Oh man, get shit on, Gavin.” Ray piped up from across the room, and Geoff let out another high pitched, infectious laugh._ _

__“You all just shut your mouths. I’m gonna bloody punish him for that later.” Gavin grumbled, and Ryan turned towards him incredulously._ _

__“Is that gonna be a sex thing?” Ryan asked, and the whole room burst into laughter. Ryan looked around, slightly embarrassed, but smiled when he met Gavin’s eyes. The older man leaned forward, planting a kiss on the top of Gavin’s head and ruffling his hair. That was met with a number of obnoxious groans and kissing noises, which the two of them ignored._ _

__“Shut up you guys, we need to finish this fucking heist without dying for the five hundredth time.” Ray called out, and Ryan saw his character run across his screen. The older man focused on the game, and a few moments later, a loud explosion could be heard through the TV’s speakers._ _

__“Ryan, what the hell?!”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its not as long as i wanted it to be, but hooray for my first finished multi-chapter fic!! this was fun to write, i love my awkward cowboy son. plus, there just might be a sequel featuring.... drum roll please.... AH OT6!
> 
> if you have anything you want to show me, you can comment or post it on tumblr with the hashtag barameisterlook!!!


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